1) Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention generally relates to storage covers and, more particularly, to storage covers for vehicles or conveyances including automobiles, motorcycles, watercraft, and the like.
2) Background
When not in use, vehicles or other conveyances (such as watercraft) generally need to be stored in a manner that protects them from the elements and preserves their longevity. Failure to do so may cause parts to corrode, paint to fade or peel, mechanical or electrical parts to fail, and other deleterious effects. In addition, when a vehicle or conveyance is exposed to the elements, dirt and sediment can accumulate, which can have a number of undesirable effects.
Land vehicles such as cars, motorcycles and trucks are often stored in a garage when not in use, in order to keep the vehicle secure and protected from the elements. However, a garage is not always available for storage. In such a case, a fabric cover or tarp may be used to provide some protection to the vehicle, but these are not always effective. For example, a fabric cover or tarp may not cover the entire vehicle. It may also allow rainwater or other moisture to seep beneath or through it. A fabric cover or tarp may also be inconvenient to deploy, or take an inordinate amount of time. Often a fabric cover needs to be secured with a rope, cable or other flexible member, which can take extra time to wrap beneath the vehicle and requires several steps to secure. A fabric cover or tarp can be cut with a sharp implement, and is potentially subject to theft, particularly if not properly secured. Moreover, such a cover generally closely follows the contours of the vehicle, providing no structural protection to the vehicle.
Analogous problems exist with boat covers. Fabric covers or tarps suffer from many of the same problems as with those used for land vehicles. A number of proposals have been made to provide more convenience or better protection; for example, one proposal involves using a solid structure with a roof, from which a fabric cover can be lowered. Such proposed structures can be expensive, complex, and lacking in flexibility.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a mechanism for covering a vehicle or conveyance, such as an automobile, motorcycle, truck or watercraft. It would further be advantageous to provide a cover mechanism for a vehicle or conveyance which is convenient to use, is effective against the elements or other types of harm, and can be deployed or retracted quickly. It would also be advantageous to provide such a cover mechanism which is inexpensive and not overly complex.